Learn and Awaken
by thegoddessofstationery
Summary: Parent/Teacher AU: Lon'qu is a guidance counselor at Ylissan Shepard's Middle School. Cordelia is a busy mother who seems to not have any time for Severa, or herself. When Lon'qu invites her in for a parent teacher conference, he learns that he must to do his job as counselor. He needs to help and heal.
1. Chapter 1

It's not that Lon'qu hates his job. He just hates trouble. But still, here he is trying to break though a girl Lissa had sent after patching her up in the health office from another fight to his office. The girl, Severa, had a head of red hair that was as fiery as her temper. Her eyes sharp brown eyes narrow at me.  
"I didn't do anything, "she spat.

"If you did, you would be in the principal's office, not here." I calmly replied. She pursed her lips and sucked on my words. Good. She could think a bit more. "This is the third fight you've gotten into this month, and the " reading from my clipboard with the information that Sumia, the assistant principal gave me.

"I've tried everything. I've given her detention, campus beautification, and I've talked to mom but I think she doesn't even care. I hate parents like that. I mean, aren't parents supposed to care and love you at every stage of your life?" Sumia asked me.

"How you raise your child says more about you than your child," I tell her. "What happened to her dad?"

"He and her mom divorced a few years ago, and nobody knows where he is anymore." She leans close in to me and whispers in my ear. "I think he moved into the city and got into something bad. I don't mean to make assumptions, but I think he's dead right now, and her mom doesn't even care. How cold hearted is that?"

I shrug. I don't enjoy guessing someone's personality until I meet him or her. The world could use less judgment. "That is your opinion. And I will have mine."

"So, I've gotten into a few fights before. What's wrong with that?," Severa questions.

"So, you keep getting hurt and sending people to the health office." Severa smiled at that last part.

"Stop smiling. It's not good to hurt people who don't deserve it," I scold. I don't need a bully to roam this school.

"But they do deserve it! They were talking mean things about my mom. And only I get to be rude toward my mother," as she uncrossed her arms and sat up straight. "They called her a whore to her boss. Sure she works a lot, but my mother is not a whore! Nor is she sleeping with someone as gross as her boss! He's like 70 with really nasty hair."

I stare at her. Her proud eyes are misted with the threat of tears. For a brief moment, I saw the ghost of me as a child reach out and cradle my heart. akes me back to when Mother had to work multiple jobs to just support her and me. I rub my face and sigh.

"Go."

"What?"

"You heard me. Go. I've decided you're not a trouble kid."

"Really? Thanks-"

"But I don't want you to actively picking fights, especially since you're so small. Stop putting yourself through unnecessary pain. Fight the battles that need to be fought." She looks up at me and for a moment I think I've broke- she just ran away.

After talking with Severa, she was the last student I needed to meet with. I headed towards the teacher's lounge or the "barracks" as we referred to it. I open the heavy doors to the calming scent of coffee and office supplies. I pour myself a cup of coffee and sit at an out of place wooden table on a squeaking plastic chair.  
"Afternoon, Lon'qu." I look up to see Sumia, the associate principal, and the mother of the school staff. She sits down next to me. I'm surprised she didn't spill her tea, considering how clumsy she can be. "How was your talk with Severa?" I shrug.

"Alright. She didn't respond well to my questions, but I know where most of her problems are probably coming from."

"Her mother right? So I was thinking…" Sumia fidgeted in her seat. "I know that you don't enjoy to meet with parents and prefer to deal with students at school; however, I think this time it's better to meet with her mother," she said breathlessly. I look at her.

"I know what I'm doing," I reply, but I can't deny that meeting with Severa's mother could solve all her problems at once. "Fine. I'll ask her to come in tomorrow afternoon." Today's Thursday, so I'd be meeting her Friday afternoon. Not my favorite way to start off the weekend, but it beats being dragged by Gaius and Vaike to go out drinking with them.

"Terrific! I'll email you her contact information. By the way, her mother's name is Cordelia. Good luck!"


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem or its characters. Wow, thanks for reading my story! It means a lot to me because this is my first story ;-;. Enjoy, and leave reviews if you like!

Lon'qu was pretty sure this was one of these worst ideas he had ever agreed to; next to jumping off a roof as a teenager. He was sitting in his office, at his lonely desk, in a quiet school, with a blank mind. Writing an email cannot be that hard, turn on the computer, access the Internet; open his email account, then write and send an email. But like most things in life, a closer look shows how much more complicated something is.

He groaned and leaned back in his chair. It groaned from the weight and age. Lon'qu started counting the holes in the ceiling, first in rows, then in columns, then randomly. He shot back up and typed three words. "Dear Cordelia Winston:" But soon after his victory, he was once again defeated by the blank page. Should he be gentle and lead her to the cool pool of "it's not your fault, but we need to talk", or should he dunk her into the stinging ocean of "you failed as a parent"? People have managed to take offence to both though. Lon'qu groaned and leaned back in his chair, once again. This wouldn't be the first time he had to finish something with sheer will power. If you can think of it, if you can believe it, then you can do it. He repeated that phrase like he was trying to summon demons with stellar typing abilities to finish his email.

Finally he composed an email that was up to snuff with his standards.

Ms. Cordelia Winston:

Children often follow in the footprints of their parents, and I am curious of the path that Severa wants to follow. Please come in for an afternoon meeting on Friday to come in the discuss concerns about your daughter Severa. She is constantly getting into fights defending you. I sincerely hope you take this email seriously, for coming in would help you and your daughter.

Looking Forward,

Lon'qu Zhuang

It would have to do. Hopefully, she would understand the message and come without a fight, although that has always been difficult in the past. He didn't want to play the bad guy. He wasn't even the bad guy. Watching parents argue with their kids drained him, but watching parents cry over their faults is almost always even worse. When they cried, he knew they wanted to help. But how? They were so disconnected from their kids. Those parents probably couldn't name what teachers their kid had or they cared too much. An overbearing parent ties the leash too closely and a distant parent lost the leash. It was his job mend, and by Naga would he do more than his best to help those families. Friends and family are all we have left in the end anyways.

Heh I thought Cordelia was an European name of some sorts so bam Winston and Lon'qu is Asian...ish... so I used my Chinese skills and wowsers character traits Zhuang means strong


End file.
